


Work Hard, Work Happy

by ZoeyWinterRose



Series: Joey's Watching [1]
Category: Bendy and the Ink Machine
Genre: Father-Son Relationship, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Other, Wally is Mixed, allison's got a crush, bendy's different, hes broken, ink machine appears, leaky pipes, sammy lawrence is moody, tell me if you find them, theres two references at least to an artist/streamer in here
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-05
Updated: 2018-11-18
Packaged: 2019-05-02 18:10:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,581
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14550405
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ZoeyWinterRose/pseuds/ZoeyWinterRose
Summary: Henry loves his job. He loves drawing and being with co-workers he's proud to call friends. One day he notices Wally looks exhausted. Wally says that Joey's been keeping him at the studio to work on a 'major project.' Henry wants to know what could be so important. When asked, Joey grins wickedly and tells his best employee he wants to show him something.Henry doesn't like where this is going.





	1. 6 Hour Energy For Father and Son

**Author's Note:**

> Hi c:  
> Me and my brother worked super hard on this story! We won't update it regularly but we'll try our best. We're really excited to get this done! I know it starts kinda like you would expect but it's basically the 'Henry gives zero fucks' au nobody asked for.

Henry sat at his desk, his short figure hunched over his drawings as he worked. His black, messy hair stuck up in every direction and there were dark circle under his eyes, a sign of lost sleep. A partially empty coffee mug was on the shelf under his desk. It was mostly silent around him. The chit-chat of the other animators and the rummaging of the janitor in the storage room were muffled by the thick walls. Henry didn’t mind the silence, though. It was easier to think of ideas he could pitch to Joey and possibly be used for their cartoon. There was nothing more exciting than that. Of course, Joey and Henry would often converse about what the show would entail. Henry did create Bendy and Boris, after all.

Henry sat up, his back cracking in several places with a loud pop. A disgusted sound got his attention. The storage room door next to his desk was opened and there stood a disgusted and partially horrified 14-year-old janitor.

“Damn, old man, you bust your back?” He said, his voice cracking in the middle of the question.

“Wally,” Henry began, chuckling quietly, “We’ve been over this, bud. I’m not old and it popped because it’s been stiff for so long.”

“Could’a fooled me. Looks like you ain’t slept in days.”

“Three.”

“Huh?”

“Three days.”

While Henry looked proud of this statement, tapping the desk with his finger to motion to the now finished drawings, Wally looked rather concerned. He closed the door to the storage room and stepped closer to Henry. He looked tired too from what Henry could tell. The boy’s hair hung in front of his face, covering his eyes. The hat and overalls he wore were much too big for his thin body and he was shaking slightly, an indication of his exhaustion.  
  
“Henry, you need ta go home and get some sleep.”  
  
“I will tonight, bud, I promise. How long have you been here?”  
  
“Oh… uh… Maybe a day or two…?”  
  
“What have you been doing here? Where have you been sleeping?”  
  
“Uh… Well… Mr. Drew been keepin’ me busy with that ‘project’ a’ his. ‘S all right, though, I’d rather be here than go home.”  
  
Wally turned and looked at the floor as he spoke, hunching his shoulders a bit. He put his hand in the pockets of his overalls and huffed. Henry would’ve laughed due to how cartoony it looked but he couldn’t bring himself to. Wally was young, too young to be working the way he was. He placed a gentle hand on the boy’s head, Wally visibly flinching at the contact. He relaxed after realizing it was just Henry and gave a cheesy grin.  
  
“Guess I can’t be chewin’ ya out if I’m doin’ the same thing, huh?”  
  
“Guess not.” Henry chuckled lowly and fixed Wally’s now smooshed hat. “How about when I clock out tonight, and I promise I will, you do too. You can stay with me tonight instead of going home.”  
  
“You got yourself a deal.”  
  
“Good. I have to take these to Joey so get out of here.”  
  
“Yessir!”  
  
Wally grinned happily and walked off, heading to his next chore. Henry frowned at seeing a burn mark on the kid’s neck. It was obvious Wally had tried to hide it but nobody had the heart to say anything about it. Henry sighed and picked up his drawings, letting out a small yawn. He headed towards Joey’s office on the other side of the building. A few people waved to him as he walked. Everyone seemed to be smiling and in such good spirits that it was contagious. Cohen, whose office door was opened, waved at Henry with a smirk.  
  
‘We must be doing good on money.’ Henry thought.  
He stopped at the end of the hall at the split. Going left would take him to Joey’s office but the beautiful sound of the music coming from the right was enticing. The music department was working very hard to get caught up but due to lack of musicians, they were struggling. Henry was going to stop by, sit with Norman Polk as he watched the band play but the sound of Sammy Lawrence screaming was enough to turn him back to his mission. He would rather not listen to the music direction yell at the band for being off tune.  
  
Henry came to another split after going left. There was another left leading to Joey Drew’s office and then a right, leading to a part of the building where the voice actors worked. So far, they just had Susie Campbell. She was.. Interesting, to say the least. She would squeal and scream and just overreact in general. She was almost as dramatic as Sammy. Almost. Henry kept left, knocking on the door to Joey’s office before entering. The room was a complete mess. Paper and mechanical parts were everywhere and an odd looking book lay on the corner of Joey’s desk. The man in question was sketching something, his attention snapping up to Henry as he heard the creak of the door. A wicked grin crossed his face.  
  
“Henry! Old Pal! You’ll never believe what I figured out!”

 

Joey was right. Henry was kind of scared to even ask.


	2. Cleaning Wally's Problems

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Norman and Sammy work together to fix Wally's problems!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> get the title? It's a joke??? HA!

“So let me get this straight… You want to build a giant ink machine to bring our characters to life?”   
“You catch on quick, Henry!”   
“But, Joey, why?”  
“Think about it! The first real toons! We would use them as actors instead of drawing! We could use them as an advantage against our competition! And then, a Bendy theme park!” 

Henry leaned back in his chair, a deep frown showing his disapproval. Joey leaned forward onto his desk, his wicked grin dropping. 

“Come on, Henry, what’s wrong with the idea?”   
“A lot of things. First, a giant machine that puts out more ink than we can afford isn’t going to make Bendy real, it’ll drive Grant insane. Second, if we could bring them to life, we can’t use them as pawns!”  
“You know we’d love them, Henry! They’re our creations!”   
“No ink machine Joey. That’s final.” 

Henry stood and walked out of the room, ignoring Joey’s protests. His fists were clenched, trying to hide his frustration. He knew Joey technically owned the characters and Sillyvision was a joint effort for them, but Bendy was his. Bendy was more than just a cartoon to Henry. He loved the little toon and would enjoy having him around for real but he wouldn’t want him to be used like that. It was better left alone.   
He felt Joey’s eyes on him as he walked out but didn’t bother turning around. He did not, however, hear Joey mumbling under his breath or seeing the determined glint in his eyes.

 

On his way down the hall, going back to his desk, Henry heard the band playing beautifully. Sammy seemed to be calmed down as he was dead silent. There were whispers, though. Soft whispers coming from the room, barely heard by the music. Henry decided why the heck not and went in, quietly closing the door behind him. At the bottom level of the room was Sammy in front of his band, proudly watching them as they got the tune perfect. The projector hummed as it lit up the film of Bendy, up to his adorable shenanigans. Henry couldn’t help but feel his own sense of pride and affection at the cartoon, happy his hard work paid off. To his left, Norman was sitting in his chair and Wally was sitting on a crate. They were whispering softly. Norman’s expression was soft. He had one hand on Wally’s arm in a comforting manner. The younger of the two was nodding in understanding, a frown on his face. It was one of the few times Henry saw the young boy so solemn. Henry stepped closer, straining to hear them over the blasting of brass and strings from below. The two noticed him before he could hear, Norman patting Wally’s shoulder to dismiss him. The young janitor walked out of the room, giving Henry a forced smile as he went. Norman then looked up at Henry, motioning to the box. Henry obliged, sitting and glancing down at the band.

They stopped playing and were talking enthusiastically as they packed, ready to clock out and go home. Sammy gave them tips on playing, telling them to practice at home before making his way up to the makeshift projector booth. He leaned against the half-wall as Norman turned off the projector, the last frame showing a concerned looking Bendy. Henry didn’t blame the little devil. He was worried too. He turned to Norman. 

“So are you going to tell me what you and Wally were talking about?”   
“Wally’s a special boy,” Norman began. “He’s smart and ain’t afraid to work hard.”   
“That’s debatable,” Sammy grumbled. Norman shot him a glare, silencing him before he continued.   
“He was tellin’ me he didn’t like goin’ home. He’s afraid to.”   
Both other men seemed to tense at hearing this. They shot each other a glance, Henry looking worried and Sammy looking genuinely angry. It seemed he noticed the bruises and marks on the poor boy as well and he wasn’t happy.   
“Did he tell you why?” Sammy asked though he seemed to demand an answer.   
“Didn’t wanna say,” Norman replied. “But I don’t think it’s his folks at home. From what he’s sayin’, his father’s a good man and his mother ain’t in the picture. It’s the walk home he seems to dread.”   
Henry grimaced. He forgot Wally walked home. The hour-long walk cause Wally to be late on more than one occasion, especially with the rough neighborhood he had to walk through. Sammy seemed to relax a bit at the notion.   
“So he’s not getting abused at home, then. Good. I’ll take care of it.” 

The music director pushed himself off the half wall and left the room, more than likely headed to his office. Henry and Norman sat in silence for a few moments, both deep in thought. Norman decided to break it.   
“It’s not easy for him, Henry. Not too many people like folk like us. I’m lucky enough to be here all day. Not everybody speaks but they leave me alone if nothin’ else.”   
Henry looked at the other man, genuinely confused by his statement. It finally clicked, however, looking down at their arms. While Henry himself was tan, Norman’s skin was darker. He knew Wally was mixed. He didn’t understand why people were treated differently because of skin color, but he was glad they both found peace here.   
“Don’t worry, Norman.” Henry stood up, smoothing his pants out before helping Norman out his own seat. “Both of you are safe here. You’re practically family.”   
“You’re a good man, Henry. Got a good soul. Don’t let anyone drown you in darkness.” 

They exchanged a nod and a smile, Norman tapping the projector. He told Henry he was staying a little later to look at the new cartoon. He loved seeing the animations. Henry gave off a goodbye wave and left the room. Sammy was talking to Wally a bit away. Wally’s expression held genuine shock, while Sammy’s was perfectly calm. The music director had a way of controlling his expressions to let people know exactly what he was thinking. He didn’t want Wally to think anything right now, it seemed. Wally left and Sammy leaned against the wall, waiting for something. Henry approached. He didn’t say a word before the tall, lanky musician spoke.   
“I told you I would take care of it.”   
“How are you doing that?”   
“I’m taking him home. I’m going that way anyway.” 

So Sammy would come in and leave with Wally every day. A few days of this and Wally stopped getting bruises and cuts. A few weeks of it, and both the janitor and the music director he fought with so much were happier. They were often seen together on breaks, along with Norman. The three of them were practically inseparable. 

Henry didn’t like the rough times both Norman and Wally went through, especially over something as stupid as being a different color, but they seemed happy here. That made things easier on everyone. Even Joey seemed to stop hassling them and doing his own work. The studio was filled with laughter and conversations and it felt nice. 

For the moment, everything was at peace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know the whole racist thing is like 'what???' but I tried to do something different XD Don't shit on me too hard


	3. WElp, It Was A Fuck Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Well, Allison's here, she's got a crush on Thomas and Bendy's a thing that exists. Joey's an bitch but that's every chapter.

It was a beautiful morning. The sun shone in rays through the patches of clouds. The wind gently blew the red and orange leaves around. The feeling of Autumn was in the air. It was extremely peaceful. Henry walked along to the studio with his co-worker, Allison. She was new to the studio, today was her first day voicing Alice. Joey seemed to think she was a better fit than Susie and Henry couldn’t argue with that. Her voice was much sweeter and more natural than the other girl’s. He hated seeing Susie’s reaction to being replaced, though. She came out Joey’s office crying like a piece of her was broken. It must have felt that way, he imagined. Alice was a part of her, after all. A very important part of her. 

“Henry? Are you listening?” Allison pulled Henry out of his thoughts. She was smiling nervously at him. In response, he rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.  
“Sorry. I was just… thinking.”   
“About what?”  
“Well… How crazy these past 10 years have been. 10 years ago, the studio was so much smaller and we didn’t have nearly as many people. I mean, it’s crazy the music department has their own section of the studio underground.”  
“Business must’ve been booming, huh?”   
“You can say that again.” 

Henry chuckled lowly as he thought about how well they had done and continued doing. With the help of his best friend, he took a sketch and made a world tons of people enjoyed. He lived his dream and got a second family in his coworkers to boot. He’d never forget those long nights, slaving away over his desk but in the end, it was worth it. 

Once inside the studio, he took Allison to the now below-ground break room. On their way, he noticed something different. There was a pipe on the wall. He’d never noticed the pipe before. In fact, the closer they got to the music department, the more pipes he saw. Empty, clean pipes that ducked and bobbed into the walls like a snake burrowing underground. They were definitely new.

When they approached the hallway leading to Sammy’s office, he saw the source of his confusion. Sammy stood outside, arms crossed. He looked angry. Joey was talking to someone excitedly. The person he was talking to, a tall, burly man with black hair, had his back turned. He was working on a pipe. Henry approached.   
“Joey? What’s all this?” He asked, growing concerned about what his friend was doing. Joey turned with a grin.  
“Remember that little machine I mentioned years ago?”   
“Joey, no. You didn’t…”  
“Of course I did! We’ll have the little toons dancing around in no time at all, Henry!”   
“This is agony, Joey.” Sammy inserted. “Why not just have the stupid pipes in the room with the stupid machine?”   
“Because it’s so much bigger than that, Sam-a-lamb!”   
“Don’t call me that.” 

Needless to say, the room was rather tense. Sammy, with irritation, stomped off. Henry let out a defeated sigh, knowing there was never a real way to stop Joey from doing what he wanted so he introduced him to his new employee. They began talking almost as if nothing happened, though it was clear Allison felt out of place. 

Everyone quickly warmed up to her, though, even Sammy. Especially the engineer who Henry quickly learned was named Thomas Connor. The two were often seen chatting when Allison wasn’t recording. Even if Thomas was working, they would have a somewhat one-sided conversation. Thomas would be focused but grunt and nod in acknowledgment. He got along with few employees, Henry and Sammy, but seemed especially close with Allison. Rumors told of Allison thinking the handyman was lonely, despite his preference of the quiet. He wasn’t but enjoyed her company anyway. 

It only took a couple weeks before Henry noticed the pipes had ink flowing in them. He decided after he finished working for the day, he’d check out the machine. Joey had put it in the room the band used to play in, the open space perfect for a newly created toon to get their grasp on their new world. As he got closer to it, he heard Joey’s loud voice coming from inside the room, sounding angry yet inquisitive. 

“Well, we can’t start over! It’s already here! Maybe we can fix it.”   
“I don’t know, Joey.” Thomas’ husky voice sounded uncertain and small compared to Joey’s. “It’s pretty soulless looking.”   
“Let’s just keep it hidden and try to fix it. We can’t afford to try another Bendy.” 

The conversation had certainly gotten Henry’s attention now. He decided not to sneak around anymore. He had to see what was going on. Upon opening the door, the conversation halted. Thomas and Joey stood next to the ink machine. The mechanic looked uneasy, while their boss looked rather annoyed. It didn’t seem to be at Henry though. 

“Henry! What might you be doing here?” Joey asked. Even his voice was laced with annoyance. “I thought you’d prefer to listen to the band on your break.” 

Henry tried to get closer but Joey stepped back a small bit, pulling Thomas with him.   
“What’s going on in here?”   
“Mr. Drew made a Bendy. Something’s wrong with it.” Thomas yanked his arm away from Joey as he spoke, stepping away. He didn’t appreciate being pulled like that. Joey glared at Thomas, stepping aside as well. He didn’t see a point in hiding anything if his partner was going to be so eager to rat them out. They were silent as Henry stepped closer, looking at the little toon on the floor. It was Bendy alright, but something was indeed wrong. He had slid himself into the corner, looking almost completely emotionless. His eyes were just the black outline of their usual pie-cut selves though he seemed to be able to see with them and he had no mouth. Henry reached out and put his hand on the toon’s head, right between his horns. Bendy reacted by looking up, his widow’s peak furrowing as if he were confused. He probably was. 

“Hey there, buddy,” Henry spoke softly as to not scare the little toon. “How do you feel?”  
Bendy looked down at himself as if pondering the question. The animator chuckled softly, rubbing the toon’s head. Bendy’s eyes closed, relaxing under the touch. Joey gave Henry a concerned look. 

“He doesn’t act like Bendy, Henry. He’s off model. We can’t just keep him here! What if the press found him? They would shut us down! We have to keep him locked away at least!” The more he talked, the louder Joey got, though it was normal for him. Bendy didn’t seem to like it, however, the white inside his pie-cut eyes shrinking into snake-like slits. His horns grew longer and more pointed as he snapped away from everyone else, rounded-gloved hands growing into long, sharp claws. Joey’s reaction was to grab acetone, causing the little devil to back up further, growing in size. Both Joey’s instinct to grab the acidic liquid and Bendy’s fear of it made Henry’s stomach drop. This had happened before and he didn’t like it. 

Joey raised the bottle to splash the demon, to kill it before it got more deformed and attacked. Henry stepped between them quickly, cupping Bendy’s face in one of his hands while petting between his horns with the other.   
“It’s okay, Bud, nobody’s going to hurt you. You’re safe.” He spoke softly, trying to calm to the panicked toon. In response, Bendy froze. The soft pets seemed to work as he shrunk back to normal size. His hands and horns went back to normal and his white pupils rounded and expanded again. He slumped against Henry’s hands, holding his wrists so he couldn’t pull away. 

Thomas and Joey gave each other a look. They could tell Henry had already gotten attached to the little thing. Bendy seemed to feel the same as he got closer to the man petting him, leaning against his legs almost completely. 

“I think he’s pretty spot on, Joey,” Henry said as he slowly lifted the toon in his arms, giving him time to pull away if he didn’t want to be lifted. He seemed more than happy to be held, even snuggling against his creator. “He’s just like I imagine him being. Except for having no mouth but we can fix that, can’t we little guy?” 

He was cooing over the toon like a baby, Bendy eating the attention up. Every pet and praise given was returned with an inky forehead against Henry’s cheek and a soft nuzzle. With a heavy sigh, Joey just watched. He didn’t like the way this was going. Now, he couldn’t try to fix to him without his best friend being involved. Things were going to get complicated. 

Thomas leaned over to his boss, crossing his arms. 

 

“Maybe you’ll have better luck with Boris. I like him better anyway.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay so maybe these will update more regularly? I know the next chapter's gonna be a bit slower to add character development because we want the workers to have personalities dammit.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Leave us some feedback! Anything's good! Please, if you're interested, stay tuned for more!


End file.
